by Andrew Chalk
Manuel Pires may be angling to be living proof that to make a small fortune in the wine industry you should start with a large one. He has taken the wealth he accumulated as a successful tech. entrepreneur and spent it on 150 acres of prime land on Napa’s famed Pritchard Hill to create Gandona Wines. He also contracts with wunderkind winemaker Philippe Melka to produce just 2,000 cases of prodigious California Cabernet Sauvignon.
Despite being in business only since 2006 (the vines are much older – 20 years total – formerly being part of Long Vineyards) he has already garnered a reputation for quality and being a name to watch. His 2009 Gandona Cabernet Sauvignon was rated 97/100 points by the wine critic, Robert Parker. Continue reading
